


Subtlety

by RedTeamShark



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Author Chose Not To Tag, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-12
Updated: 2013-11-12
Packaged: 2019-09-06 09:52:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16830244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedTeamShark/pseuds/RedTeamShark
Summary: So were Michael and Lindsay even going to pretend to be subtle?





	Subtlety

**Author's Note:**

> Proper warnings, tags, etc, may come in the future. For the time being I'm frantically transferring my content to a stable platform amidst growing concerns about tumblr's inevitable implosion.
> 
> Apologies for flooding the fandom page.

With summer came heat, the Texas sun blasting down at him hotter than he’d ever remembered it being in New Jersey. Michael pulled on a light-weight t-shirt and wiggled into some clean shorts, hoping that maybe it’d be enough to keep him from sweating to death. Probably not, nothing short of lying under his air conditioner in a pair of swim trunks seemed to really be enough to keep cool in this godawfully humid state, but it was worth the effort. He couldn’t exactly do the boxers-and-air-conditioner thing at work, anyways.

Even though he lived right across the street from the office, he drove over. The car had air conditioning, and he wanted to avoid being sweaty for as long as humanly possible–normally about fifteen minutes in Texas. He let himself into the building and out of the sun, sighing at the outright bliss that was air conditioning.

Kara was at the front desk and looked up with a smile when he came in. “Morning, Mich–” She began, stopping mid-sentence and covering her mouth, though not quite hiding her giggle. Michael frowned. Was there something wrong with him?

Probably the humidity playing hell with his hair, he reasoned as he greeted her and headed for the Achievement Hunter office. He really needed to get it cut, but he’d been lazy about it. Besides, Lindsay said that she kind of liked it long. Not that he was doing it for her… though having her run her fingers through his hair when they were making out felt nice…

Brushing the thoughts aside, he fell into his desk chair in the empty office, booting up his computer and checking his e-mail quickly. Nothing important, it looked like. It was Thursday, so the only thing he really had to do was finish editing the week’s Rage Quit and get it posted. Not wanting to listen to himself scream first thing in the morning, he decided that a cup of coffee was in order.

Kerry was there, adding cream and sugar to several different coffee mugs. Michael offered a smile to his friend and fellow Internet Boxer, checking the level of the coffee pot. Behind him at the table, the brunette spoke up. “I finished it off, but put in a new one to start brewing. Should be just a few minutes.” He turned, sighing and shaking his head. “I drew the short straw and have to get coffee for everyone upstairs.” He explained. Michael nodded sympathetically, leaning on the counter and waiting for the coffee to brew.

“That sucks, man.” He agreed, reaching up and scratching at his neck lightly. Kerry’s gaze followed his hand, eyes widening slightly. “What?”

“So, uh…” Whatever Kerry was going to say was interrupted as someone called down from upstairs.

“Hey, Shawcross! My blood isn’t going to caffeinate itself!” Miles, from the sound of it. The high-pitched laughter that followed the shout all but confirmed that it was indeed the energetic Red vs Blue writer, and Michael offered a smile with as much sympathy as he could muster at eight-thirty in the morning.

“Better get up there before someone loses their buzz.” He agreed, taking the half-full coffee pot off the warmer and pouring himself a cup, adding a liberal helping of cream and sugar. “I’ve got stuff to do anyways.”

Kerry was collecting mugs, trying to balance them and keep track of them. He barely looked up as Michael left, only nodding. “Yeah, alright. See you around.”

Jack and Ray had shown up while he was getting his coffee, Michael saw, though there was still no sign of Gavin of Geoff. Neither of these surprised him too much, though when Ray looked up at him and immediately started laughing, he was taken aback.

“First Kara and now you. What the fuck is going on, Ray?” He demanded, taking a seat next to the Puerto Rican and impatiently waiting for him to catch his breath.

“Holy shit, man, Kara wasn’t kidding!” Ray managed to gasp out, catching Jack’s attention. The bearded man turned around, giving his own chuckle before turning his attention back to his desk.

“What the fuck…” Michael groaned, drawing out the word and slapping a hand to his forehead. “Will someone _please_ just tell me what’s so fucking _funny_ this morning?”

“Dude… you might want to… you know… go check a mirror. Or ask Lindsay.” Ray finally gasped out.

Michael frowned, before his eyes widened. He shot up from his seat, rushing for the bathroom as realization hit him.

Shutting the door behind him and flicking on the light, he stood staring at himself in the mirror. Specifically, staring at the rather obvious bruises along his neck, trailing from his jawline almost to his shoulder. Hickeys. Hickeys that had been left there by…

“Lindsay…” He muttered, clenching his fists and trying to maintain his anger. Though now that he knew what was going on, all he really wanted to do was laugh. Taking a deep breath, Michael chuckled, reaching up and rubbing his neck slightly. Well, if she was going to do this…

He left the bathroom calmly, passing by Gus and Barbara in the hall and pointedly ignoring the way the blonde girl snickered and stared after him. Instead he headed out into the studio, stalking right up to his redheaded girlfriend’s desk and standing over her shoulder.

It took a few moments for Lindsay to realize he was there, slowly taking her eyes away from her monitor and looking up and over her shoulder at him. “Hi, Michael.” She greeted with a smile, swiveling her chair to face him.

Until that moment, he hadn’t been sure what he was going to do. He was caught somewhere between hilarity and rage, wanting to yell at her for outing him in such a way, wanting to laugh with her (and everyone else at work) at the circumstances. Seeing her looking up at him, brows furrowed in the slightest bit of concern but humor still playing across her eyes and making the corners of her mouth turn up, the decision of what to do clicked firmly into place.

Michael leaned down, planting his hands on her chair and his lips against hers, keeping his eyes on hers as he did. He moved his tongue against her lips, then into her mouth as she let him, feeling her hands come up and around his neck. One hand slid from her chair into her hair, lightly brushing it behind her ear.

He moved away from her mouth after a while, leaning closer to whisper in her ear. “There. Now everyone knows.”

When he pulled back she was flushed, her lips red and her eyes wide… but she was also grinning.

“Like they didn’t know before? We’re not exactly subtle, sweetie.”

For once, a quick retort wasn’t on his lips, so Michael did the only thing he could think of to do. Hell, the only thing he _wanted_ to do.

He kissed her again.


End file.
